This invention relates to an airbag assembly for a motor vehicle and specifically to an airbag inflator assembly with multiple chambers and detonators. Typically, an airbag assembly includes an airbag cushion and an inflator assembly. Conventional inflator assemblies include a detonator to trigger a gas-producing chemical. Triggering the gas-producing chemical produces a large quantity of rapidly expanding gas that inflates the airbag cushion. The inflator is typically triggered electrically by way of an electronic control module positioned within a motor vehicle. The rapidly expanding gas that inflates the airbag cushion exerts a large force in a relatively short duration of time. This large force is a product of the speed in which an airbag must fully inflate in order to provide impact prevention to occupants of the vehicle during a collision.
The force of inflation is set at a level such that an occupant of normal size and weight will not be injured. The force of inflation of an airbag cushion required varies depending on the specific size and weight of the occupant. Injury to smaller occupants, such as children is a design consideration taken into account when determining the magnitude of airbag inflation. As appreciated, the large forces exerted by an inflating airbag can cause injury to the occupants they are designed to protect.
For this reason, warnings and devices are currently in uses that simply turn the air bag off upon the sensing of specific conditions. In some instances a simply switch is installed to turn off the airbag. Other devices sense the size or weight of the occupant and activate the airbag only under a predefined set of conditions. It is well proven that airbag cushions provide an additional level of safety to an occupant during a collision. Devices that disable the airbag remove this level of safety to the detriment of smaller occupants.
For this reason, it is desirable to develop an airbag assembly that can inflate at various force levels such that the safety benefits of an airbag cushion can be used for occupants of all sizes.